Gear review: BeetleBag bike bag and backpack

I have a weakness for adaptable, multi-purpose items. Reversible clothing? I’m there. A teddy bear that stuffs into itself to become a pillow? Tell me more. Ottomans that double as storage? I’ll take three.

So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the BeetleBag, a bicycle bag that latches onto your top tube, converts into a backpack. Biking is my main form of transportation, and having a space-efficient sac that can hold lunch and an extra jacket without making my back all sweaty or weighing me down is key.

Since I usually ride with a destination in mind, I often have to leave my bike locked somewhere. Not that I don’t trust the great people of Ottawa, but I was very happy that a few tears of velcro and popped snaps gave me a tote to take into the store, restaurant or my friend’s house. Thanks to those same stretchy fastener straps, the bag felt secure while riding and didn’t rock around when I made a sharp turn.

My main gripe with the bag is that it made it awkward to bike in the standing position. I also would have preferred it just a wee bit shorter, so that my knees didn’t brush against it with every pedal stroke. Still, this bag will likely become a regular on my Saturday errand runs.